Harry Potters Seventh Year
by monalisax
Summary: Harry Potter has come of age. Secrets are being revealed everywhere. Harry enters the seventeenth year of his life finding out more about his parents, death and even a little about romance.


A/N: I haven't yet thought of the perfect title for this fanfic, so until I do it will remain Harry Potters Seventh Year.

All Characters, Spells and Places belong to JK Rowling, with the exceptions of the ones I created.

**Harry Potters Seventh Year**

**Chapter One - A Happy Birthday?**

A cool wind blew July into its final day. Welcoming the breeze, due to a very hot and muggy summer, Harry Potter lay in his bed, only imagining what the seventeenth year of his life would bring. So much had happened over the past couple of years, he'd lost his godfather and his headmaster, a man who was wise and capable of overcoming the impossible. Harry felt so alone and emotionless, he'd experienced so much death that he no longer felt sorrow and grief, although he would long to feel these emotions all he seemed to feel was a numb feeling that he just couldn't rid himself of. Realising he couldn't deprive himself of sleeping any more, he slowly drifted off into a world suspended of consciousness.

Harry awoke the next morning of his own accord. Living in the Dursley household it was almost a guarantee that you'd be awoken as soon as Dudley had marched down the stairs. His vision blurry, he reached for his glasses and managed to drag himself out of bed at the same time. Traipsing sluggishly downstairs he could muttering coming from the kitchen below. By the time he had made it to the bottom he heard hushes being made by what sounded like his Aunt Petunia. As he walked into the kitchen he was welcomed by a chorus of 'Happy Birthday Harry' from his Uncle Vernon and a rather large Dudley who, had evidently, put on at least fifty pounds of the past year. He looked at the table to see half a dozen neatly wrapped gifts piled at the far end of the table. This was the oddest experience of Harry's life, with the exception of his eleventh birthday when he was told by an eight foot tall man that he was a wizard.

'What the-' said Harry, his eyes scanning the room for some sort of explanation.

'Seventeen today. Seventeen, a man Harry!' said Vernon, with a forced smile upon his piggish face.

Harry instinctively thought his relatives were under the Imperius curse, by Voldemort or one of his death eater's, but dismissed the idea when he recalled what Dumbledore had said in his fifth year about Five Privet Drive being sealed by ancient magic.

'I don't - what's all this for?' said Harry, slowly sitting down in his chair, thinking that this somehow had to be a joke.

'You've come of age. Dad's been worrying about it for weeks' blurted Dudley, his father giving him a rather stern look.

'Yeah. Yeah of course. This is what this is for. Worried I'm going to turn you all into toads, are you? Well, you'll be happy to know I won't force my presence on you for any longer than I have too,' said Harry.

Aunt Petunia turned from the stove, where she was frying Dudley's third helping of bacon, and gave Uncle Vernon an 'I-told-you-so' look.

'So, Duds, you prepared for the big match to day?' asked Vernon, with bits of scrambled eggs stuck in his moustache.

Dudley made noise which sounded somewhere between a 'yes' and a grunt. Harry had only just remembered today was the final of Dudley's boxing tournament, this meant that Harry would have the house to himself for a few hours. Usually having the house to himself meant he would be able to get all of his homework completed for the beginning of the term, but as he'd decided a month ago that he would not return to Hogwarts he felt no need to complete any of his homework assignments.

'More bacon, Dudders?' asked Aunt Petunia, in a hasty whisper.

Dudley grunt yet again. Harry he recently noticed how withdrawn and quiet his aunt had become. She barely spoke to anyone anymore, and to Harry's knowledge she hadn't spoken a word about Dudley's boxing. The rest of breakfast continued in a welcomed silence, except for the occasionally sarcastic snort coming from Uncle Vernon behind his newspaper. Almost a half hour went by before anybody spoke.

'Right, Dudley, upstairs son. You've got a long day ahead. Go get changed, we should be leaving in about fifteen minutes, you know, to get there early. See if I can have a few words with the referee.' said Uncle Vernon, winking at Dudley.

Aunt Petunia rolled her eyes and Dudley rose from the table, ogling the pile of presents at the end of the table.

'You can have them' said Harry.

A startled Dudley gathered the presents and left the room quickly, hoping that Harry wouldn't change his mind. Once Dudley had made his way upstairs, Harry followed too. Entering his room, he saw Hedwig perched on top of her cage, waiting to be let in. As he walked over to her, she hooted towards the window. Outside, on the window sill he saw a small, familiar owl. He opened the window and the owl hooted holding out it's left leg. A small piece of parchment was attached; Harry untied it from the owl's leg and read it the words scribbled upon it.

_Harry,  
Sorry I haven't sent you a card or present, there hasn't been enough time. It's mayhem here, it's non-stop planning for the wedding. The 'big event' is happening at the end of the week. Mum said you can come and stay here for the rest of the summer, if that's okay with you. Dad has something tell you, he won't tell me what it is as he wants you to be the first to know. Write back a.s.a.p so we have confirmation to collect you tomorrow morning at about 11 o' clock.  
Ron._

Harry quickly searched the room for a piece of parchment. He found one beneath a book called Advanced Potion-Making. He scribbled down a quick reply confirming what Ron had said and attached it to Pigwidgeons left leg. Pig gave an appreciative hoot before flying off. As Harry shut the window there was a knock on his door. He turned round as it opened to see a rather pale Aunt Petunia.

Harry quickly searched the room for a piece of parchment. He found one beneath a book called . He scribbled down a quick reply confirming what Ron had said and attached it to Pigwidgeons left leg. Pig gave an appreciative hoot before flying off. As Harry shut the window there was a knock on his door. He turned round as it opened to see a rather pale Aunt Petunia.

'Um, aren't you going to see the big fight?' asked Harry.

'You know, I never really did understand boxing. I'm just glad he found something he enjoys doing. I never really had a hobby when I was younger; I used to spend my time making snide comments in the direction of your mother.' Noticing the expression on Harry's face she continued. 'Oh, really, you must understand. I didn't hate Lily. No, she and I were just too different. She was everything I wasn't. Popular, beautiful, intelligent. And what annoyed me the most was that she was too nice. I was horrid to her, and through it all she would do nothing but be nice to me.'

Harry stood staring at his aunt, not knowing what to say so she continued.

'And I realised from what Dumbledore had -' Harry had turned and looked away at the mention of his name. 'Has something - is he -'

'Dead. Yes.' said Harry.

She gasped. 'As you are aware I've never been fond of, well, your lot. But he was a respectable man even if he was - a well, you know. As I was saying, when he came to collect you last year he mentioned how we had neglected you. We can't change how we've treated you, nor make you forget it either. Vernon and I just couldn't picture ourselves treating you as our own son, if you we're to grow up like Lily and your father. What I'm moving onto is that now you have come of age, I was wondering where do you go now? The enchantments he sealed upon this house have sure to be lifted now that you are a man.'

'I - We're, my friends and I, going to destroy him. Finish him, 'said Harry quickly.

'Him? You mean, Lord, oh what was -'

'Voldemort. Lord Voldemort. Yes the man who killed my parents. The man he gave me this.' He brushed back his hair to reveal the lightening shaped scar on the left side of his forehead.

She gasped. Even though she knew very little about Lord Voldemort and the wizarding world, she knew how dangerous something like this would be. Both of them said nothing for a good five minutes, Aunt Petunia was just about to leave before Harry broke the silence.

'Would it be ok, well is it ok if my friend, Ron, and his dad came to collect tomorrow morning, they'll be subtle.'

Aunt Petunia gave small nod before departing for the stairs.


End file.
